Smiles for the afterlife (Indonesia, Bali)

During a cremation ceremony ( ngaben ), two Balinese children in traditional dress pose at the edge of the ritual, somewhere between seriousness and spontaneity. In Bali, these ceremonies are not sad funerals: they embody a liberation of the soul , and sometimes bring together hundreds of families in the same procession.

The girls wear a kebaya , a traditional blouse made of lace or fine cotton, accompanied by the kamen (Balinese sarong) and a black belt , symbolizing respect for the death-life cycle. Children participate in these rituals from a very early age, not as extras, but as actresses aware of generational continuity.

The wicker offerings visible in the background are handmade by families, often at dawn, and combine flowers, rice, incense, and animist symbols. They form a silent language that connects the living to their ancestors.

In Bali, rites are never fixed: they evolve over time while remaining educational pillars . Being present at a cremation is learning to honor without fear , to recognize death as a passage. These children's smiles, in the midst of collective fervor, also say this: a culture where the sacred is transmitted through everyday life.